Brand new hero

SOUTH AFRICAN replacement Louw Brand scored a dramatic late try, converted by Stewart Lloyd-Jones, to stun Old Paulines and preserve Guernsey's unbeaten record at the top of London Four South-West. For a second succesive game, Rob Box's men seemed to be heading for a title-damaging defeat until the closing stages.

But with just a couple of minutes to go Guernsey pressurised the Old Pauline line and after a couple of rolling mauls, the ball was passed down the line.

Iain Johnston broke a tackle and produced a good pass for Brand, on for Guernsey captain Carl Johnson, who went over in between the posts.

Lloyd-Jones, who had kept the visitors in the game with two long-range penalties in the second period and generally enjoyed a good afternoon with some fine tactical kicking, kept his nerve to slot home the short-range conversion in front of the posts.

Box was both relieved and delighted with his team's performance after two 'awful home displays'.

'They were a strong side and their defence was absolutely fantastic.

'We won all the scrum ball, all the lineouts and the rucks, but in all honesty they were a very drilled side.

'We couldn't crack their defence.'

Guernsey had started confidently enough, playing into a strong breeze on a bright and cold afternoon near Sandown.

A 25th minute try put Old Paulines 5-0 ahead and it was still the score at the turnaround when Guernsey hoped that the wind would give them the edge.

It did not work out that way, though, and despite Lloyd-Jones' penalties, Guernsey found themselves conceding a converted try and trailing 12-6 entering the last quarter of the match.

Guernsey finished the game with 14 men, scrum half Lee Whatman having been sin-binned for a stamping offence moments after the decisive try.

Box's men play bottom-of-the-table Romsey at Foote's Lane next week and have just one more away trip in the title run-in.